


Back to the Future

by everystareverywhere



Category: The West Wing
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2006-05-31
Updated: 2006-05-31
Packaged: 2019-05-15 23:02:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,308
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14799644
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/everystareverywhere/pseuds/everystareverywhere
Summary: A/U. Josh gets into a car accident but has a dream that changes hislife.





	Back to the Future

**Author's Note:**

> A copy of this work was once archived at National Library, a part of the [ West Wing Fanfiction Central](https://fanlore.org/wiki/West_Wing_Fanfiction_Central), a West Wing fanfiction archive. More information about the Open Doors approved archive move can be found in the [announcement post](http://archiveofourown.org/admin_posts/8325).

**Back to the Future**

**by:** Joanna 

**Character(s):** Josh Lyman  
**Pairing(s):** Josh/Donna  
**Category(s):** AU   
**Rating:** YTEEN  
**Summary:** A/U. Josh gets into a car accident but has a dream that changes his life.  
**Author's Note:** Banter and Bets #1 

* * *

**Chapter 1**

“Jenny!” I shout to get my assistant of the week’s attention. She doesn’t answer so I try again. 

You know Donna would always tell me that I shouldn’t yell but she always came. But no more. Nope, she left me. Forever. I mean no time after we leave the White House can we get together. ‘Cause little Miss high-and-mighty had to get married now, to Commander Wonderful of all people. She even had the nerve to ask to me to be at the wedding. I was there, to show my respects you understand, but it took every fiber in my body not to raise my hand when the priest asked who here thinks these two should not be married. 

That night, Sam, Toby, and C.J. helped me to get drunk. 

I was never so sick in my life. 

No wait I’m wrong. Yes I know hard to believe but I am, I was sick the day Donna sent me her resignation. 

But does it hurt me? That she left? 

Nope, I feel no pain at all. 

Except for when I breathe, but other than that I feel fine. 

Let her live happily ever after with that son of a- - 

“You wanted me?” Jenny asks as she walks into my office interrupting me of my thoughts. 

“Yes, what else do I have today?” 

“Nothing. It’s 10:00 at night. Also it’s Christmas Eve. Everyone went home. Except for us…and Toby.” She says putting her hands across her chest. 

“Well, Toby and I are Jewish. We don’t celebrate Christmas.” 

“Yes, Mr. Scrooge, I know that, but I’m Catholic, and my husband and kids are waiting for me.” 

I think it over for a minute, but really why do I need her here? And for that matter why am I still here? I should go home too. “Yeah, go home. Merry Christmas.” 

She smiles and walks out. Two minutes later she comes back to the doorway and says, “Thanks so much, Mr. Lyman. Have a Merr- -sorry force of habit. Happy Hanukah.” I smile and make a waive with my hand saying, ‘Get out of here.’ 

I grab my bag and walk out to my car. It’s snowing very hard. I almost think twice about driving, but the dealer said it was great in snow, so I should be fine. 

I get into the car and quickly start the engine. God is it cold in here. 

When the car is ready to go, I put the car into drive and pull away. I’m about two blocks away from my house when the car starts skidding some ice I didn’t see on the street. I try to get the car to cooperate, but it’s not working.

The last thing I see is a pole before everything goes black. 

**Chapter 2**

I’m cold. So very cold, and my head is killing me. I think I’m still in the car but I’m not too sure. All I know is my head hurts, I’m cold, and I’m in a tight space. 

Suddenly the driver’s door opens and I hear a familiar voice, but right now I can’t say who it is, saying, “Josh? Josh, are you all right?” 

I can’t really answer, but before I can say anything, the familiar voice yells (thank God not any where near me), “Mom! Help me, it’s Josh!” 

That’s the last thing I hear before the world goes black again.

********************

I feel much warmer than I did before. I can feel a warm blanket around me and a nice warm cloth on my forehead.

Suddenly I feel am nice warm hand go on my cheek. The fingers are lightly touching my face and it warms my body faster than the blanket and the cloth. 

That’s when I hear the familiar voice again. Only this time, I can place who it is. 

“Josh? Are you okay? Can you hear me?” 

I open my eyes very slowly and see Donna’s blue eyes looking back at me. 

God how I missed those eyes. So innocent and pure. 

What are the odds that I would get hurt in front of Donna’s house? 

Only didn’t she move to like New York or something? 

“Donna…” Wow that sounded a lot like a moan than a word. 

“Josh, I’m right here.” 

“Didn’t you…” I sign off. Wow does my head hurt. 

“Didn’t I what?” she asks moving her fingers up and down my cheek. I could get used to that.

“Move…” God Lord, can I please finish this sentence?! 

“Move? Move where?” She asks all confused. 

“New York.” Ah, finally. I finally finished that sentence. And it only took me like four times to do it. 

“New York? What are you talking about? Why would I move to New York?” 

Oh man, I hoping she wouldn’t ask that. “Jack…Reese…” I sign. 

“Jake Reese? Wow that’s a name I haven’t heard in a long time.” 

“You…married…him.” Oh thank goodness, I can now speak a little faster. 

“I was about to, but you interrupted it.” 

I did? “I did? How?” I don’t remember interrupting it. I remember sitting on my hands when the priest asked a certain question. 

“When the priest asked who here thinks that Jack and I shouldn’t be married, you raised your hand.” 

Oh my God. I did it. I did the one thing I was most scared to do. “I did?” 

“Yes, and Sam, C.J., Toby, Charlie, Debbie, Leo, Margaret, Carol, and even the President said we shouldn’t be married. So the wedding was cancelled. Then the next day, we got together.” 

You would think that I would remember the moment that I have been waiting for since I met Donna. 

“Really?” 

Donna looks at me all confused and asks, “Josh, what’s the last thing you remember?” 

I think back and I tell her that I was driving home from work. 

“Where do you work?” She asks. She’s still lightly touching my cheek. It feels really nice. 

“The White House.” I say 

“What’s your job title?” 

What is this? 20 questions? And she should know my job title. “Deputy Chief of Staff.” 

She shakes her head and gets off the bed. That’s when I notice something funny about Donna. She a little bigger around the middle. Like she put on some weight. Only like her thighs aren’t bigger, nothing is bigger except her stomach. 

Does that mean what I think it means? 

“Mom, can you come in here for a second?” Donna asks when she gets to the door. She turns around and looks at me while she shakes her head. 

I have to ask. “Donna? Are you pregnant?” Please say yes, so I don’t get hit for asking why you’re a little bigger than usually. 

She looks down at her stomach than looks back up at me. She sighs and says, “Yes Josh. Seven months.” 

My mouth hangs open and she laughs a little. That’s when the woman who Donna called comes in. That’s when I realize that the mom who Donna called is *my* Mom.

“Mom, I think Josh has amnesia.” Donna says coming back to the bed. She sits on my left while my mom sits on my right. 

“Why do you say that?” Mom asks as she puts her hand lightly on my head. 

“He thinks he’s the Deputy Chief of Staff.” 

Wait a minute, I’m not? I’m not the Deputy Chief of Staff? When did this happen. My mom shakes her head and looks down at me. 

“What do you remember sweetie?” 

I tell them that Donna left in the beginning of second term to marry Commander Jack Reese, that I have had a new assistant each week. Everything. 

“Josh, you must have been living in your own little world because- -“ That’s when I hear something like a child cry. I look around and notice that the door is still open and a little girl is standing there holding a tan teddy bear. 

“Mommy! Daddy! I had a bad dream!” The little girl cries. Mom stands up and goes to the little girl. Mom tells her that Mommy, meaning Donna, and Daddy, meaning… well me, are having a very important discussion and that Grandma will take care of her. 

When they leave I turn to Donna and start asking my questions. “Who was that? Is she mine? How am I not the Deputy Chief of Staff? What in the hell is going on?!” 

Donna takes a deep breath and begins answering the questions. “That is our daughter named Lena. Yes she is yours. She’s three. You’re not the Deputy Chief of Staff because you’re the Chief of Staff to President Santos. Josh you don’t remember getting married, you don’t remember having Lena. You don’ t even remember being the campaign manager on the Santos campaign. I really think you have amnesia. Let me call a doctor.” With that she gets off the bed and picks up the phone and starts to dial. 

I’m left in my own thoughts. 

I married Donna? 

I’m a father? 

I worked on a campaign to get a guy named Santos to become President? 

And than he won? 

And most of all, what the hell is going on here?! 

**Chapter 3**

“Okay Josh, open your mouth.” Doctor Smith tells me. He looks around my mouth with a little flashlight. He than tells me to close my mouth and not to move while he checks my head. 

Donna and Ma have been walking in and out of the bedroom to make sure Lena is okay. The dream she had, I hear, was pretty bad. 

“Doctor? Is Josh going to be alright?” Donna asks with a little fear in her voice. Oh, who am I kidding? I heard a lot of fear in her voice. 

“Well, all in all, I think he’s going to live…” 

“I feel a ‘but’ coming on.” My mom says. 

“But, I think he has amnesia. Josh, do you remember working with Donna?” 

“Yes.” I answer 

“Up until when?” 

“When she married Jack Reese. That was the beginning of the second administration.” 

The doctor turns to Donna and asks, “That was about 2002 2003, right?” 

“Yes” she says with a nod. “I was about to marry Jack but Josh stopped it.” 

“Do you remember that?” Mom asks 

“No.” I say while shacking my head. “I remember not stopping the wedding. I remember getting drunk out of my head and C.J., Sam, and Toby staying with me and listening to me.” 

“I remember him stopping the wedding.” Donna says. 

“Me too.” Mom says. 

I turn and look at my mom. “Mom, you were there? At Donna’s wedding?” 

“Of course. Donna is like a daughter to me, how could I say no?” 

I was left silent. My mom was there? But what about all those talks about how Donna was the one, and I’m letting her slip away. 

When I ask my mom those questions she answers with saying, “I knew one day you would follow your heart.” 

Thing is, before I was in the car accident, I wasn’t. Following my heart, I mean. I didn’t want to go to New York or wherever Donna was and tell her how I feel, only for her to laugh in my face, or worse, ask me why didn’t I mention this earlier. Why didn’t I tell her how I feel? 

And you wanna know why? ‘Cause I was terrified! I never felt like this, like I could go spread my wings and I could fly. Like I hit a grand slam at Shea Stadium. 

I was scared. I love Donna so much it scares me. 

That’s why it’s a little hard for me to grasp the idea that me, Joshua Lyman, actually married Donnatella Moss. That she had my, *my*, child, and having another one. 

It might take a few minutes to digest this. 

“I suggest that he should get a lot of rest.” Doctor Smith says packing up his bag. 

“Will his memory come back?” Donna asks while twisting her fingers around each other. A habit she does when she’s nervous, or scared. 

Doctor Smith takes a deep breathe before saying, “I’m not going to lie, Mrs. Lyman,” Just for the record he’s talking to Donna, “it might not. But in some cases it does. Just keep reminding him of things that you did after you were married. It might help.” With that he exists out the door with my mom close behind. 

Donna and I are quite for a few minutes before she says, “The way you are talking it’s like you have been living another life. You really don’t remember anything after Jack and mine’s wedding?” 

“Donna, if I could remember I would, but I really don’t.” 

“So you also don’t remember the first time we kissed?” 

God, I wish I did. “No” 

“Maybe it might help if I kissed you now.” She says. She leads down on the bed and has one hand on my chest while the other hand is holding up her weight on the bed. 

She starts to lend down and closes her eyes, and the only thing I’m thinking is, ‘Oh my God. Donnatella Moss is going to KISS me! DONNA is going to KISS ME!!!’ 

Than it happens. Our lips meet. And it…well I can’t really explain it. It’s slow, yet fast, and holds so much, like love and trust and friendship, and so much more. And it’s over way to soon. 

“Well? Did it trigger something?” She asks pulling back. I think I just whimpered. 

I look up at her and shake my head. “No, but let me tell you, that was one hell of a kiss.” 

She laughs a little and than says, “Well, I should let you rest. Goodnight Josh.” Then she leans down and quickly kisses me on the lips before getting up and walking towards the door. 

“Night Donna.” I say before closing my eyes and thinking about what just happened.

Donna and I kissed. It was our first kiss. Okay she might say that is definitely not true, but to me, that was our first kiss. 

And I think all kisses should go like that. 

Well, I know all my kisses with Donna will.

**Chapter 4**

I wake up with a very bad headache. ‘Okay,’ I tell myself, ‘do NOT drink more than two beers ever again.’ 

I roll on my side and feel a body there. Then I remember, car accident, married Donna, have one child, another on the way. 

Was that really only last night? 

I open my eyes and see blonde. Defiantly Donna. 

I can’t believe it. I married Donna. I really did. 

But now I have to ask a question, is this a dream? Or what happened at Donna and Jack’s wedding? Me not interrupting? Was that a dream? 

I slowly get out of bed and walk to the door. I take a deep breath before I open the door. I have only seen the bedroom; I have never even seen the bathroom. 

I open the door and see a hallway. I walk into the hallway and directly on my right is the kitchen. I walk in there and it’s… well… homey. It has maple shelves and the doors to all the cabinets are maple too. It has a refrigerator, a stove, and well all the kitchen supplies you would think you would need with a family. 

I than turn to the dining room that has three windows and a very big table in the middle of the room. Than the living room which has another big three windows, a couch, a love seat, a TV, and a lot of DVDs by the TV. And VCR and DVD player. 

Mainly this whole house is homey. And I’m quickly falling in love with it. 

“Daddy?” 

I turn around and see, who I assume to be my daughter standing there holding her teddy bear in one hand and a DVD in the other. “Hi, Sweetie. What are you doing up so early?” 

She walks over to the couch and tries to get up on it, but she’s too small. I walk over to help her but she tells me that she can do it. She hands me the movie that she was holding and asks me if I can put the movie in the DVD player. 

I look at the cover, obliviously it’s animation. I put the movie in the player, sit next to *my* daughter and look at the back of the movie case. 

“Daddy,” My little girl says holding onto my arm and looking up at me with her warm brown eyes, “put the cover down and watch the movie with me. Please.” 

I do what she told me to do and I find myself swept up in the world of ‘Anastasia’. 

When the movie is over, Lena is standing there singing all the songs and says to me, “Daddy? Daddy? You know what my favorite scene is?” 

I laugh a little and shake my head. “No Pumpkin. What was your favorite scene?” 

“When they’re one the train, and Anaya,” see in the story Anastasia could not remember who she was, so she thought her name was Anaya, “said to Damitri ‘Do you really think I’m royalty?’ and Damitri said ‘Yep I do’ and than Anaya said, ‘Then stop bossing me around!’ I love that scene!” 

“I like that scene too.” 

“Why didn’t come to read me a story last night?” She asks while biting her lower lip. Donna does that all the time. 

“I wasn’t feeling too well” 

“Are you feeling better now?” she asks as she climbs back on the couch and putting her hand to my forehead. 

“A little, yes” It’s not like I can remember anything about Donna and I being together, but she doesn’t need to know that. 

“Good,” she says before she says, “Daddy? Are we going to the park today? ‘Cause you said that you were feeling all better” 

“Daddy is, Sweetheart, but I think Daddy should stay home today. Aunt C.J. will take you to the park.” Donna says coming into the room with a robe on. 

Lena sighs dramatically, before saying, “Fine.” She than gets off of the couch and goes into another room. 

Donna sits in the spot Lena just vacated and puts her head on my shoulder. “Can you remember anything after the wedding?” 

“Like I said last night, I don’t remember anything that you say, after the wedding and before last night.” 

She signs before saying, “Oh Josh, what are we going to do? You can’t remember a part of your life!” 

“I know Donna, and I always wanted to tell you I love you, but- -“ 

Oh my God, I did it. I told Donna I love her. I did it, just now. Oh my God! I did it! I really did it! 

“But what?” 

“I’m sorry, but I just told you I love you.” I say like she needs reminding. 

“I know you love me. You’ve shown me every day. And not only after the wedding, but before it.” 

“I did? How?” 

She gets up and picks up a book from the shelf. She than hands it to me. ‘The Art and Artistry of Alpine Skiing’. 

“I remember this.” I say opening it up and lightly touch the words I have written so long ago. 

“That meant the world to me. I loved it so much. Never got past the inscription though.” 

I laugh a little and she puts her head on my shoulder again. “Also, when you sent me flowers, when you helped me to understand something, when you said, ‘Let’s put you on a stamp’, when you teased me, when you made me laugh, all of those times I knew you were in love with me.” 

“Really?” I say amazed that I was that transparent. 

“Yep. I knew. And I know, right now, you love me, just like I love you.” 

I look at her and say in a whisper, “Repeat that.” 

“What?” 

“The last thing you said.” 

“What? I love you?” I nod. “I…love…you.” She says spreading out the words so I really take it in. 

“I love hearing you say that.” 

“Well, you will here it for the rest of your life.” She says before giving me a kiss on the lips. 

“Yuck.” I hear someone say. I turn away from Donna and look at Lena who is sticking her tongue out. 

“Yes Lena?” says Donna 

“Kissing’s gross.” She says sitting on the love seat. 

“Well, you say that now…” Mom says as she enters the room. “Josh, honey, how are you?” 

“Okay.” 

Mom looks at me like she wants to say more, just can’t in front of Lena. 

“Don’t forget, doctor’s appointment.” Donna says standing up. 

“What?!” I ask 

She rolls her eyes. “Not for you. For me” she says patting her stomach. 

“Oh, yeah, I’ll be there.” 

She leaves the room and Mom sits next to Lena. “Sweetie,” Mom says, “what do you want to do today?” 

“Go to the park with Daddy,” she replies with a pout 

“You just as stubborn as your daddy,” Mom mumbles loud enough that I can hear it. 

“I heard that,” 

“Good, it was meant for you to hear,” she replies 

I sigh and look at my daughter. She’s absolutely beautiful. She’s like the mini-me of Donna; same long blonde hair, same smile, same laugh. The only way you really know she’s mine, is because of her big brown eyes and her dimples. And, apparently, her stubbornness is just like me. 

I look around the room and see a lot of pictures. A picture of Lena when she was a baby, a picture of Donna and me at some function or other, and a big photo of Donna and me on our wedding day. 

She looks gorgeous in the photo. We’re standing next to each other is front of a fireplace, with champagne glasses in our hands. Both with big smiles and I would give anything to be that Josh. That Josh who had the courage to do something I could never do; that Josh who now has 1.5 children and who is happily married to Donnatella Moss. I would do anything to be that Josh. 

“Daddy?” Lena asks pulling me out of my thoughts 

“Yes, Sweetheart?” 

She climbs the couch where I’m sitting, and snuggles up to me. “I love you” 

I look down at her, and smile. “I love you too” 

And I mean it with all my heart.

***

“Do we know what it is?” I ask as Donna and I sit and wait for the doctor to be ready.

She doesn’t even look up from the book she’s reading. She’s reading ‘What to Expect When You’re Expecting’. “No, we want to be surprise” 

“Really?” I ask 

She looks up and says, “I thought you didn’t want to know.” 

“Well, it’s just that a part of me wants to know, but the other side wants to wait” 

She smiles before replying, “Yeah, me too” and with that she goes back to her book 

We sit in silence and I just look at her. She’s exactly what I remembered, well okay, maybe some things have changed, but they’re good changes. I can’t believe that she’s having MY child. 

“What are you looking at?” she whispers still not looking up from her book 

“You” 

That makes her look up. “What’s so special about me?” 

“Everything” I say taking her hand in mine 

“Mrs. Lyman?” A nurse asks breaking the moment Donna and I were having. She gets up and follows the doctor. I remain behind Donna the whole time we’re walking to the room. Once we get into the room, the nurse hands Donna a robe with a big hole in the middle. 

Donna goes to change in the bathroom, and after a few minutes, she comes back out. 

And when she does, I can’t help but laugh. “I’m sorry.” I gasp. “It’s just so weird seeing you with that robe on with a big hole in the center” 

She smiles, but it’s an evil smile. “Yeah, yeah, yeah” she says waving her hand in the air, as if she’s saying, ‘Whatever’. 

She sits on the table for the mother-to-be to sit on. I grab a stool and move it towards her. Once I’m seated, I grab her hand. 

“I love you” I whisper 

“I know” she whispers back before giving me a quick kiss on the lips. 

Doctor Masterson than comes in. “Ah, Mr. and Mrs. Lyman. How are you?” 

“Good” I answer 

“That’s nice. So you’re here to…hear the sonogram?” she than looks down at her clipboard than back up at us. 

Donna nods, since she knows better than me. 

“Okay than. Let me just put this on” the doctor says grabbing a jar, opening it up, taking some into her hands, and rubs it across Donna’s stomach. 

Donna jumps a bit when the gel hit her stomach. “Sorry.” She said getting red in the face. “It’s cold” 

The doc nods and smiles. She than plugs in what looks like a small television, and takes what looks like a small remote, only it’s plugged into the T.V. 

“That’s not going to hurt her? Right?” I ask pointing the remote look-a-like 

Doctor Masterson smiles before saying, “No. It might tickle, but she wouldn’ t be in any pain” 

She presses it on Donna’s stomach, when suddenly an image comes across the screen. Than there is noise coming from what seems like every angle of the room. 

The heartbeat. 

I look at Donna, while she remains looking at the screen. The look on her face is priceless. She looking at the screen like it holds all of the mysteries in life. I look back at it, when I notice something. A head. I can see the baby’s head! 

“Look. It’s the head” I whisper. Donna just nods. 

We continue looking at it, when the Doctor says, “I’ll leave you alone for a few minutes” 

We both nod, never taking our eyes off the screen. When she’s gone, I say, “I can’t believe you’re having *my* children” 

“Josh…I think it’s a boy” she whispers 

“Why?” 

“I think I see something that girls don’t have” she giggles. 

I look closely, and sure enough, I see it too. “Yeah. I think it’s a boy” 

We both take it in that she’s having a boy. 

“I always wanted a boy” she says after a few minutes of silence. 

“Really? Why?” 

“I’m gonna hate myself later but…I always wanted a boy, so they can be like the miniature you, and some girl would be as happy as I am” 

I’m shocked. Really I am. I’m speechless. I don’t know what to say. “Uh…” is my very witty response 

“Oh my, this is an odd moment. Joshua Lyman is speechless! Someone alert the presses!” 

I laugh and put my head down on her arm. She runs her figures through my hair, and it gives me shivers down my back. 

“So,” Doctor Masterson says as she comes back in. “Are you two done?” 

Donna looks at me and nods. I look at doc and nod my head. 

As Doctor Masterson is puts things back in order, and Donna is cleaning her stomach and changing, I ask the doctor, “It’s a boy, isn’t it?” 

She smiles at me and nods. “Congratulations”

***

When we return back home, CJ is there with Danny and they’re playing ‘Candy Land’ with Lena. 

“Well, well, well. If it isn’t Joshua and Donnatella Lyman” CJ asks as she stands up. She gives each of us a hug and a kiss on the cheek. Danny hugs Donna, but gives me a handshake. 

“CJ, can I talk to you for a second?” Donna asks. CJ says ‘Of course’ before they walk into the kitchen. 

“So, Josh how are you?” Danny asks as Lena climbs into my lap. I’m still not used to being a father, but I’m getting there. 

“I’m good” 

“He was sick last night!” Lena replies before I hear CJ scream, “WHAT!? HE DOESN’T REMEMBER ANYTHING!??!” 

“What are they talking about?” Danny mumbles before turning back to Lena and me. “So, you’re daddy was sick?” 

“Yep, he couldn’t read me a story” She says before leaning her head against my chest. 

”Josh, are…are you okay?” He asks looking right into my eyes. Does he know? Does he know about my disorder? 

“Yeah, I’m fine” 

CJ and Donna walk back in. Donna sits next to me while CJ sits on the floor next to Danny. Danny puts his arm around her, and she rests her head on his shoulder. 

Wait a minute…are they going out? 

I look at Donna, mouthing those words and she silently nods. 

“So, Lena” Donna asks playing with a few pieces of Lena’s hair. “Did you, Aunt CJ and Uncle Danny have fun?” 

“Oh yes!” she replies as she tries to switch to my other leg, so she can see her mother. It’s so weird to say that. “We had LOTS of fun!” 

“Good” I say looking down at her. She’s the most beautiful child I have ever seen.

She looks up at me and smiles. She’s absolutely adorable.

***

That night Mom cooked dinner for us. I couldn’t remember the last time I had a home cooked meal. The chicken she made was the best thing in the world! 

CJ and Danny stayed, of course. After dinner, Lena and CJ played princesses who had to save me. Donna and Ma sat on the couch and took pictures while Danny laughed so hard, he cried. 

It was nine o’clock when they left. Since Donna wasn’t really able to bend, I gave Lena her bath. 

“Daddy?” she asked as I was trying to get the dirt off of her. How messy can one little girl get? 

“Yes, princess?” 

“When did you realize you loved Mommy?” she asks. She playing with her Barbie doll, who is wearing a very skimpy bathing suit if you ask me. How can they sell Barbie dolls that wearing almost nothing on them, is what I want to know. 

I sigh and think about it. “Um…when your Mommy said something to me that touched me really deeply” 

“What did she say?” 

“She said, ‘If you were in an accident, I wouldn’t stop for red lights’. That touched me very deeply and I knew I loved her” 

“Did you kiss her when she said it?” 

“No. But I wanted to” REALLY wanted to. 

“Oh. How old can I be when I can kiss someone?” 

“35” 

She scrunches up her nose and says “That’s too far away” 

“Well, that good for me” 

“Daddy” she says in a tone that means, ‘My daddy thinks he’s funny, but he’s really not’. Hey I might have been a father for one day, but I’m picking up the signals 

“What?”

***

I put Lena to bed and walk into Donna’s and my bedroom. I still can’t believe I married Donna Moss. I’m the luckiest guy in the world. 

“How was the bath?” Donna asks me as she puts the book mark back into the book she was reading 

“You do know I didn’t take the bath, right?” 

“You sure look like you did” she giggles. I look down and see that my shirt is completely wet and there are wet spots all down my pants. 

I start taking off my shirt, but stop when I see Donna. Then I remember she’ s my wife and so far we have 1.5 children, so somewhere along the line, she has seen me naked. 

I continue taking off my clothes and Donna whistles and giggles. When I’m down to my boxers I crawl into bed. 

“Liked the little show?” I ask as I nibble on her neck 

“Loved it” she whispers. After that there’s no talking for a while.

***

I lay on my back with Donna’s head on my chest, and I don’t think I have been any happier in my life. 

I suddenly get very cold. I mean like someone-opened-the-window-and-a-gust-of-wind-came-in cold. I start to shiver and look down at Donna, only she’s not really there. But the only place that ’s still warm is where she put her head on my chest. 

“Donna?” I whisper. Or shout. I’m not really sure. 

“Josh?” I hear, but it seems like she a thousands miles away. I open my eyes and I can see her eyes. Her beautiful blue eyes. That’s when I get the mother of all headaches. 

“DONNA!?” I shout. My whole body is cold now and I feel like I’m in a tight place. 

“DONNA!?” is the last thing I say before my world turns black. 

**Chapter 5**

I’m scared. 

I don’t think I ever been this scared in my life. I’m scared for Donna. And Lena. And Ma. What are they going to do? 

I hear the blood pumping in my head and I feel like I’m gonna die any second. Only I can’t die. I won’t leave Lena. Or Donna. 

So I keep going, even though I have no idea where I am. I’m in a small place. And I’m freezing. And my head is killing me. 

I hear something like a door opening and see someone. I can’t make out who it is. I think I whisper “Donna” but I’m not sure. 

I feel a hand on my shoulder, before I go back into the world of darkness.

***

Ah, now this is more like it. Warm. I hope I didn’t scare Donna too much. 

I feel a hand on my arm and I smile, or as much as I can, ‘cause my face really hurts. 

“Donna” I whisper 

“No, Josh I’m not Donna” I hear. 

I open my eyes and I’m very surprised to see CJ is the one holding my arm. 

“CJ?” 

She smiles before saying to someone across the room, “He’s up!” 

The person she called to runs over and I realize it’s Sam. “Hey buddy! How are you?” 

“How do you think, Sam?!” CJ says smacking him on the back of the head 

I look around the room. Where is she? She has to be here. 

“Donna…?” 

Sam and CJ give each other a look, but it’s CJ who looks at me and says, “Josh, Donna left. Don’t you remember that?” 

“But…” Nnnnnooooo! Not again! My life was perfect with Donna as my wife! “Lena…” 

“Lena?” CJ asks as she looks as Sam. He shrugs and they look back down at me. “Who’s Lena?” 

I stay quiet, since what am I supposed to say. ‘She’s my daughter’? They would look at me very weird. “She’s…uh….she’s….I…” 

“Hello?” Someone asks from the doorway. I have no idea who they are, but I could kiss them right now. 

CJ turns around and says, “Ah, yes. Josh, would you like to see your hero?” 

A young lady comes in, probably no more than 27. She has reddish blonde hair, she’s tall, like 5 foot 9, and looks like she has something to say, just doesn’t know how to word it. 

“Um, hi” she says when she walks up to the bed. 

“Hi. So, you saved me?” I asked. ‘Cause it’s just, well by looking at her I think she would have problems picking up a 3 year old, let alone a 42 year old. 

“Well, kinda.” She looks at CJ and Sam and asks, “Um, can I have the room for a second? There’s something I have to ask…um Mr. Lyman” 

They nod their heads and walk out of the room. Once they’re gone, I look at the woman. “What’s up?” 

She takes and chair and sits in before announcing, “Um, when I…saw you…I mean…I don’t know how to put this” 

“What’s wrong?” I ask pushing myself up and regretting that decision, since it REALLY hurt my arms 

“Well, right before I pulled you out, you asked for Donna…I think. It’s just well, you’re Josh Lyman and I know a Donna, but I’m not really sure if…” 

“Wait, this Donna, is her full name Donnatella Marie Moss?” 

She looks surprised for a second before nodding. “Yes. That’s her” 

I open my mouth in shock and yell, “You know DONNA?!” 

She nods. “Yeah, she’s my best friend” 

I’m pretty sure I look remarkably like Gail right now, but I don’t care. “So, if I ask you where she is right now, you can tell me?” 

”Yep” 

“Where is she?” 

“Queens, New York” 

I lay my head down on the pillow and smile. I can now locate her. YES! 

“I can give you the address. I’m sure she would love to see you” 

I quickly open my eyes and say, “Well, I would love to see her too” 

**Chapter 6**

I’m standing right outside her house. 

I’m scared out of my mind, I have no reason to be here other than the fact that I desperately want her back, but I’m standing outside her house. 

I look down at the address Becky gave me. Becky was the girl who saved me…in more ways than one. If this works out, I will be entirely grateful to her. 

I slowly walk up the stairs to her house. Yes, a house. A house that has two floors with a big front yard. I hate Commander Wonderful. 

I ring the doorbell as my heart pounds in my chest. My palms are sweaty and I don’t think I can talk to save my life. Which is really bad since I’m going to need my voice to ask her to dump Mr. Wonderful and come back to me. 

I hear, “I’ll be right there”. And that was a woman. Not any woman but… 

Oh. My. God. 

It seems like every thought hits me at once when I see her. Her hair got shorter. She still has the same out-of-this-world blue eyes. She seems relaxed. God, did I miss her. I want her back. She has the same smile. She always looked good with her hair in a pony tail. She looks beautiful. 

“Josh?” she asks in a voice that is just above a whisper 

“Uh…” is my very witty response. It would be inappropriate to take her right here, right? 

“Josh? Is that you?” 

“Uh…” Okay I would pay someone, anyone, if they can get me not to say the word ‘Uh’ anymore. 

“Oh my God, Josh?! What are you doing here?” She says with a great smile. God I missed that smile. 

“Uh…” Seriously, I’ll pay one million dollars! Anyone? 

“Mommy, who is it?” I hear a little girl ask. Donna moves enough that I can see who it is, and… 

She…oh…she…that girl…she…oh…my…God…she… 

“Lena, I thought I left you in the living room” Donna says never taking her eyes off of me. 

“But I wanted to see who was at the door” the little girl replies. She’s exactly like in my dream. Only she looks way more like Donna- meaning, no dimples and no brown eyes. But I think the stubbornness is there. 

Donna looks at Lena, before saying, “Lena, this is an old friend of mine Josh Lyman. Josh this is Lena, my daughter” 

I bend down on my knees and extend my hand, “Hi” 

She completely ignores the hand and gives me a hug as if she’s known me her whole life. When she releases she then grabs my hand and says, “If you’re a friend of Mommy’s, than you’re a friend of mine! Come on in” she than pulls me into the house. 

“Come in,” Donna says with a smile. 

Lena takes me into what looks like the living room. She sits on the couch and hands me a DVD cover. “This is the movie I’m watching” 

I try not to laugh when I see it’s ‘Anastasia’. “Let me guess, you’re favorite scene is the scene when they’re on the train and Anaya says to Damitri ‘If you think I’m royalty, than stop bossing me around!’” 

Her mouth opens in shock. “How did you know that?” 

I shrug with a smirk on my face, “Lucky guess” 

I noticed Donna leaning against the door fame grinning at me. She points to the kitchen and I nod. I say to Lena I’ll be right back, before following her mother into the other room. 

“How did you know that was Lena’s favorite scene?” 

“Like I told her, it was a lucky guess” 

“Too lucky if you ask me” she says with a smirk. “So what are you doing here?”

“I...I was in town and I wanted to stop by and seeing you” 

“You were just in the neighborhood?” she asks with disbelief in her voice 

“Yes. Why?” 

“That’s something Spider-man says. Right after he fights the guys who are hitting Mary-Jane. When she asks him how he knew, he would reply, I was in the neighborhood” 

“Oh, okay” 

She shacks her head a little, “Yeah, you’re probably asking yourself why I told you that” 

I smile before looking around the kitchen, and in case you’re wondering, it looks just like the one from my dream. “So, you and Commander Wond- -I mean Commander Jack must be living well” 

She looks down before saying, “Actually, Jack and I got a divorce” 

YES! THE GODS HAVE BEEN LISTENING TO ME AND THEY *LOVE* ME!!! OH, CAN I DO A LITTLE HAPPY DANCE RIGHT NOW!? YES! THAT HAS GOT TO BE THE BEST NEWS IN THE WORLD!!!!! 

“Oh, really?” I ask trying so hard, and I must say it’s a losing battle, on trying not to smile.

“Yeah. It was final a few months ago” 

“You could have came back” I suggest, almost hurt that she didn’t. 

She looks away before saying, “Yeah, but I didn’t think you would want me back”

“Why would you think that?” 

She shrugs, never meeting my eyes. “I…I just couldn’t come back with Lena. I wouldn’t have known who would take care of her” 

“We would have thought of something. We could have worked something out. I swear, we would have thought of something” 

She keeps looking down, and I before I realize what I’m doing I tell her, “I had a dream” 

“That one day this nation will rise up?” she asks with a smile. She finally looked back up. 

“No. Of you. And Lena” 

“Lena?” she asks, confused. “How did you dream about Lena if you didn’t even know she was alive?” 

“I don’t know. But I had a dream that you and I were married and she was our daughter” 

“Really?” She asks with a little bit of a smile 

I tell her everything I remember from the dream. She smiles and laughs at some parts, while in other tears come rolling down her eyes. 

When I’m finished she says, “That was some story” 

“Yeah it was” I say 

We sit there for a second in silence just staring at each other. She looks at me, than looks down, than looks back up at me. “Do you want it to be true?” 

“The dream?” she nods. I don’t hesitate before saying, “Yeah, I do” 

She than grabs me and suddenly we’re kissing. And let me tell you it was 1000 times better than the one in my dream. Why? Because this one was for real. 

I have a feeling my dream is about to become a reality. 


End file.
